Pictures of the past
by Mrs. Owl 09
Summary: Just a fun little stand alone ficlet about Bridger and Lucas. Placed somewhere in the first season.


**Author's note: I don't own any of these people or creatures, they just keeping talking in my head.**

* * *

"What is it?" Asked the young blonde Lucas, as he stared at a muddy brown and green strip of plastic.

"That's a negative, Lucas." Bridger resisted the urge to grumble about his age, but did allow himself to glare at the youth.

"Please sir? I'm not being nosey; I've just never seen anything like this. I just want to know what it is." He turned on his full pout in an effort to get his way.

The Captain blinked at him a few times trying to figure out if the kid was messing with him. "No, Lucas, it's called a negative. That's what pictures were made out of before you were born."

Lucas squinted at the small images. "But the colors are all messed up, like when Krieg tried to fix the vidscreen and he broke up the contrast."

Bridger reached out and possessively took the strip back. "I know." He said, gritting his teeth. "It's all I have though. These are five of the pictures that were taken at the dinner after Carol and I were married. This one in the middle is my favorite. She had had a little too much to drink and was laughing so hard she couldn't breathe."

Lucas peered at the picture. He could see a young woman laying on a table with her mouth open and a very young Bridger leaning back also with his mouth open. "Why don't you get a better picture?"

Bridger sighed "I had one; Carol hated it so I kept in my office at home. She always said it made her look like a fish on the deck of a boat. After she died… I couldn't find it. I don't know if she got rid of it or if she wanted to do something with it and never got the chance." He tried to keep his voice level, but knew Lucas had caught the crack in it. "I did find the negative a few years ago but the machines they used to make the pictures are obsolete now. I've tried calling dozens of places and they just aren't around anymore."

"I'm sorry Captain." Lucas said in a quiet voice.

"Don't worry about it Lucas, our anniversary is in a month and I guess I've just been thinking about it too much."

"I better get going Captain, I have some work to do before bed." The teenager said awkwardly breaking the silence.

Bridger smiled at the blonde haired blue eyed devil of a boy. "Anything I should I know about?"

"Nah, just reprograming my speakers to get rid of the volume protection. It's really annoying." The door shut behind him and Lucas could have sworn he heard something about a "whippersnapper" whatever that was.

* * *

Days later a very frustrated Lucas sat at his computer. He had been searching for a machine that still would develop negatives. "Why don't they just take one of these stupid things out of a museum and use it?" he grumbled. He looked at a few more shots of different negatives (and something called _slides_ that weren't as fun as he first thought it would be) and wondered if he could just build something. Looking up the specs of what a negative needed to become a picture, he started making a list.

Early the next morning, Lucas woke a very surprised and very crabby Krieg up. "I need you to order some stuff for me. I'll pay for it all and the Captain can't know, it's a surprise. Ok?"

Ben Krieg blinked tiredly at Lucas. "Am I going to get in trouble? Are you building a bomb?" Lucas shook his head to both questions. "Ok, I'll get back to you about it." He slammed the door and went back to bed.

* * *

It was almost three weeks later when Lucas finally got his delivery. Krieg couldn't get the chemicals he would need but Lucas had now done enough research on the 'nex that he knew what he could use to replace them. He also knew he didn't have much time and starting building right away. With luck, he could work through the night a few times and not be noticed.

* * *

"Sir? Do you have a moment? There are some strange shortages going on and I'd like to know what you make of them." Commander Ford asked Bridger as he walked into the mess hall.

"After I've had my coffee, Jonathon."

"Er… that's one of the shortages actually."

Bridger's eyes narrowed. "There's no coffee." He stated simply.

"No sir, I'm sorry. We have run out of coffee and are nearly out of laundry detergent. We should have been set for at least another week." Ford said annoyed. He hadn't been able to get his dose of caffeine either and was starting to feel it. Adding on the possibility of people not being able to wash their clothes made him not eager to be around anyone for a while.

"Is someone hoarding it? Krieg maybe? It wouldn't be the first time he tried to play with supply and demand."

"I'll ask him sir."

"Why don't we go together, I'm sure he'll be a little more forthright with me along." Ford nodded and they walked to the Supply Officer's quarters.

Bridger banged on the door and Ben opened it very quickly. The whole crew knew the kind of knock that meant business and no one would dare ignore it. "Ben, do you happen to have any coffee?" Bridger asked pinching away the headache that was threatening to come.

"No, why would I have coffee? People can get that for free in the mess." He seemed bewildered, and Bridger and Ford had trouble not believing him.

"If you somehow come across some could you please inform us?"

"Yes, of course Captain. Are you saying we are out? I thought was just delivered a week ago with Luca… Um…. Some stuff." He finished wincing.

"What did Lucas get?" Bridger demanded, glaring.

"Um, it's supposed to be a surprise sir. For you. He just got a bunch of equipment. He also wanted some weird chemicals but I couldn't get them." Krieg said sheepishly.

"Ok, let's go visit our resident wunderkind." Grumbled Bridger. His headache was getting worse by the minute.

They left Ben's room and marched to Lucas' room. Before they could knock on the door, however, Ford started sniffing the air. "Do you smell coffee sir or am I losing it?"

"No, I smell it too. I really hate to think what Lucas might be up to with that much of coffee though."

Bridger banged on the door. "Lucas, we need to talk. I know you're up to something!"

The door eased open and a harried Lucas looked out. He appeared very jumpy and there were dark circles under his eyes. "Yes sir?" He asked breathing heavily.

"May we come in?" Asked Bridger, now very irritated.

The boy glanced behind him but nodded and opened the door further. The Captain and Ford stopped in the doorway and stared at the once familiar room. There was a some kind of machine the size of a desk in the middle and a large bag of coffee next to it. They also spied an equally large box of detergent. The oddest thing was that the whole corner opposite from the door and Darwin's aquatube was draped in thick black fabric. "What is all this?" Asked Ford.

"I… I'm trying to do something kinda old fashion." Lucas admitted guiltily.

The Captain looked the boy up and down. "Since when do you have any interest in anything old fashion?"

"Because I wanted to do something for you." His voice got smaller and was unable to look at the two men glaring at him he went into the black tent. He came out holding a piece of paper and a negative strip. "Here." He whispered handing it to Bridger.

The Captain saw what was in his hand and gasped. "How? How did you do this? Where did you even find the negative?" His emotions were boiling between rage and wonder.

"It was in your safe, I've known that code for a long time. I looked it up on the 'nex and just… built the machine. I couldn't get real chemicals but I found another way to do it. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have. It was just a dumb idea." Lucas said glumly and sat on his bed.

Bridger was staring down at the picture of him and Carol laughing and fought the tears. "Thank you Lucas, this is amazing."

"Really?" Came the still small voice. Lucas jumped up. "You really like it?! You're not mad at me?!"

"Um, Lucas, why is there so much coffee in here and how much did you drink?" Ford asked, wide eyed.

"Oh, it's for the film, you know, to develop it? And I… I donno how much I've had, I just really wanted to finish this and I haven't been sleeping… Please don't tell Kristen. She'll kill me." He pleaded.

"When was the last time you slept?" Bridger asked cautiously.

"Uh… what day is it?"

"Friday." Bridger's said sternly. "How do you not know what day it is?"

Lucas was making calculations in his head. "Tuesday, I think, maybe, probably. Why? I feel fine! No problems!"

Bridger turned to his Commander. "Could you take the coffee back to the mess please? I'm sure it'll be welcomed there." Ford nodded and left with the half full bag.

"I'll make a deal with you Lucas. I'm amazed and touched you did this for me and I'll give you a proper thanks when you're more lucid. If you go to bed right now and promise to never stay up that many days in a row I won't tell Kristen. Ok?"

Lucas looked at him, his blue eyes dazed, "Lucid is a funny word. Luuuuuuu sid. Laaa laaa la lucid."

Bridger bit back a laugh and led the boy to his bed. "Go to sleep already." Lucas was out before his head hit the pillow.

* * *

**Author's note:**

**Just a little something I came up with at work yesterday. If you know anything about film you know that I flubbed a bit of the truth about processing already finished negatives but oh well. I hope you liked it and I think you all know what kind of work I do now! **


End file.
